The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1887-07-28
SECRET OF RUSSIAN IRON.
low an American Discovered tho Pro-
cess of Its Manufacture.

How an American Discovered tho Pro-
cess of Its Manufacture.
A romantic story was developed re-
Gently by the initial steps of building O.
Russian iron mill at Freeport, a small
town thirty miles north of this city. The
towns people donated the site and So, 90
to q firm to build there. One of the firm
related to tho correspondent the following
story: -...-.... .s -s--..- '...t :
This will be the first Russian iron
mill ever built outside of Siberia. An
Imitation of Russia iron has been made in
this country for some time, but it is not
1mpervlOus to rust. ImperviOusneSs to
rust Is the crucial test of genuine Russ ia
iron. ..-,
"There is little history connected with
the introduction of this industry into
America. Few persons imagine what a
risk was run in learning the secret of the
treatment by which Russia iron is made.
There are but three people outside of Rus
STA today that know this secret They
are: Mr.. William H. Rogers, his father,
and his nephew. Mr.. Rogers came into
the possession of the secret in this way:
about eighteen years ago he was sent
out as Pennsylvania state geologist to
Russia. He had credentials addressed to
Ex-Governor Curtin, the minister at st.
Petersburg at that time, and was received
with great pomp and ceremony by Princess
Demidoff, in whose Siberian mines he was
ostensibly to carry on his geological in
designations. The princess attended him
in person on his long journey, 500 miles
into the Ural mountains, and treated the
American geologist with all the imperial
courtesy according to the most distin-
guished foreigner. The Russian mobiles,
too, took great fancy to Mr.. Rogers, and
insisted that he should purchase few
nSllion acres of land-in Siberia zoo, 900
acres is but a trife-and establish an
American colony. Mr.. Rogers said he
hadn't the money.
"'Oh, it won't take much,' they said;
a few million dollars. would answer the
purpose - ~ ~
''The offer, however, was declined as
politely as possible without letting the
nobleman know that it was altogether
possible for q Pennsylvania state geOlogist
turkey. . ..-.. -,..ss -..,G
GAS long as Mr.. Rogers confined his
explorations to the miners he attracted
little or no suspicion, but as soon as he
set foot inside the iron mills of Princess
Demidoff he was subject to the most vigil
liant espionage. It must be remembered
that all the men in those mills who know
the secret of making Russian iron are
never allowed to quit the mines. 1t is
difficult for Americans to understand how
this is, but to any one who has seen the
inside workings of such despotic govern
ment as Russia's, the matter is perfectly
plain. All who pass to and from Siberia
arc vised and vised again at o thousand
different points, and the slightest sus-
picion is enough to warrant travellers
detention.
Zone day Ne. Rogers was making al
inspection of the iron mills, when he over
heard one of the foremen say:
that's queer kind of geologist. I
have my suspicious about him.
"Mr. Rogers was not long in making
his arrangements for bidding the defect
able land of Siberia final farewell |
With the special study he has made of
iron making before going to Russia, he
was not long in discovering the much |
coveted secret, and came home delighted |
with his experience as a state geologist. -
Pittsburg Cor, Globe DEMOCRAT,